The Snow Drifter King
by triquetratraveler
Summary: Before he lived as a boy who saved his sister and became the guardian of childhood and fun, Jack Frost lived in Niflheim where the gods of Asgard watched over him under the guidance of Thor and Loki. He was the Bringer of Winter, the Warrior of Ice, and destined to be the Mythical Winter King who will stop the wars and bring peace in his home realm with the help of his Snow Queen.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue –**

Snow…frost…ice storm…

All came from the cold.

The cold gave us our lives. It was our nature and our purpose. It was what was destined in all of us. Every one of us in Niflheim. Born with our basic element - the crystal, soon became known as Ice.

Like any being in the nine realms, we believed we came from greatness. The greatness of the malevolent ancient giants and benevolent powerful gods, particularly of the Three.

Like the universe, which was born from two divided and opposing powers that gratify together for them to create and destroy - cold from Niflheim and heat from Muspelheim. Two strong forces merged into one in Ginnungagap, the bottomless abyss where the beginning of the cosmos began and will someday collapse once more in the last day of Ragnarök.

Three of the Greatest we came from, namely, Thor, the powerful god of thunder and war, Loki, the cunning god of mischief and tricks, and Freyja, the golden goddess of love and beauty.

A small speck of whiteness appeared intact and solid, then it spread speedily into three different directions like icy vines flowering with various fascinating designs. Each design were crests of three great houses of the cold and misty realm of Niflheim. The first symbol conjured magically like the sprouting twisting frosty vines that expanded into six sides forming an icy snowflake; the second emblem forged powerful lightning strikes into a simplified snowflake; and the third insignia bloomed beautifully with radiance with its heart-shaped core spreading its six flowering petals into piercing rays of its intricate snowflake.

The three Great Houses of Niflheim descending from three powerful Nordic Gods, and the three legendary treasures they made and exchanged as eternal heirlooms to make the eternal balance of power in their realm. The first treasure was the weapon of power - the Royal Staff was forged by the Thorleif (Icestorm) Family from the lineage of Thor. The snowstorm-sky and warrior deities of flight and weather controllers of Niflheim's skies where they lived in their kingdom of clouds. The second family was the Frosti (Frost-Glacier) Family, descendants of Loki, created the mirror of secrets - the Trolden Mirror. The infamous sages, tricksters, and intellects, the lords of the lowlands, including the Main Capital where the Crystal Throne of Winter lies. And the Snaer (Snow) Family was the last house that provided the last treasure, the gem of desire - the Wishing Star. The immortal descendants from the line of Freyja, who lived in the Silvery Valley of Peace but fled Niflheim, and had sought refuge and lived in Midgard.

But the Balance of the Three soon collapsed.

It was said that all the Great Houses did not trust each other. Each made the gifts counterproductive from the way it should be use for the greater good of everyone in Niflheim.

The House of Thorleif made the Royal Staff for those only worthy to hold its power. They have asked its creators, the dwarves, Sindri and Bokkr, the brother-smiths who forged Thor's legendary hammer, Mjölnir, that only their courageous and self-sacrificing bloodline could use the full potential of the weapon of power. As for the Snaer Family, they were the only ones to know and hold the true magic of the Wishing Star. Although the elegant gem of desire could grant anyone's wish, only the few of those of pure hearts with beautiful and good intentions could use the Wishing Star which was fashioned by its makers, who molded Brisingamen, Freyja's famous golden necklace. Its makers were the four dwarves - Álfrigg, Dvalinn, Berlingr, and Grérr. Lastly, the House of Frosti believed that they could never trust the other two families too, making the Trolden Mirror - the worst among all of the powerful treasures of Niflheim. They sought the advice and help of their deity-kin, Loki himself. And the horned god devised his most horrible trick after trapping and forcing the dwarf, Andvari, who created the magical ring, Andvaranaut, to create the devastating treasured mirror. Due to his pain and anger, Andvari cursed the mirror of secrets to corrupt anyone with its powers, and one of its known powers is to distort the appearance of everything it reflects - for it fails to reflect the good of people and things, but only magnifying and influencing the evil within. Thus, freezing anyone's heart into ice cold apathy.

And from the mistrust came fear, deceit, oppression, suffering, hatred and war. It worsened with a prophecy. A prophecy of a new change that was misinterpreted to be the beginning of Niflheim's doom and its people's inexistence, making the entire realm frozen with its bitter cold violence, and its people had long lost themselves in brutal wars.

Until someone from one of the great houses saw Niflheim was heading to its inevitable self-destruction decided to extend a truce for peace. And for that peace, she had to give up herself in order to bore a son who will be able to bridge the dividing gap of the two great houses.

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – The Winter when He Came –**

"One more push, please! I know you can do this!" Her most trusted handmaiden remained holding her hand, whispered when eyeing the royal midwife eyed her earlier to tell her lady.

Newly poured drops of her sweat mixed with her tears rained down her lovely face, the long white haired woman with sky blue eyes gave her deep breath before she gave a hard push. And after she did, she almost felt losing her consciousness until the cries of her new born child rang into her ears, she forced herself to remain awake and to stay strong. She still tried to rise up upon viewing the midwife's face lifting with utmost reverence and whispering words while other female servants remained at the sides of the royal chambers, aiding her and their lady.

"Tell the King, he had a son from Lady Cornice of Thorleif ." The midwife spoke loudly and started to clean the new born.

"A son…my son…" The happy mother whispered with relief and hope, viewing in stunned shock when one of the servants was quick to grab clean clothes to bundle up her son, startling the midwife when realizing how uncannily fast this servant had moved beside her and had cradled the newly addition of the royal family of Niflheim.

No one dared moved or speak as the servant's features changed and shaped shifted into his true form. When he revealed who he is with his known wide grin as he whispered the boy's name and the baby in his arms stopped crying to breathe the cold winter air.

"Jack…" He ceased staring at the baby boy who stared back at him as he heard the brave voice of the mother who finally was able to move to sit.

"Loki…" Her voice, even how much courageous she tried, could not betray the anxiety and suspicion she had with the horned god who remained holding her baby in his arms.

"I came here without any ill-will, Lady Cornice of Thorleif. I am just welcoming the newer addition of my descendants. He was after all from the direct line of the Winter Kings. Unless, you want someone else to do so…." Loki smirked, his dark eyes rolled near the opened balcony, and the dark being who could be mistaken as one of the curtains, except his long cloak was moving like shadows blending in the darkness at the corner of the room. "I know you are there, Mortos. You want to see your grandson too, but as I remembered your presence was never welcomed anywhere at all, even if the imperial ice palace was once the place of your birth too. Except that was a long time ago, and you are now Death. And you cannot draw near without killing anyone here with your mere presence." He paused to face Cornice again. "Where is my royal descendant, the Winter King?! Surely, he should be here. Don't tell me, he is busy with his plans of war in the grand hall. He is my descendant and yet he acts like he is Thor's - a busybody with heroic intentions of protecting his people and his realm, and yet, he could never stop his people from killing each other." Loki sneered. "But I know how to grab his entire attention! And someone else!"

Sensing trouble with the way the god's eyes gave a glint of mischievousness, she whispered. "Please…my son…give him to me!"

Loki drew near his face near the calm baby and whispered something at the baby's ear before throwing him off the air at the same time he disappeared. As soon as he flung the child, Cornice cried out and struggled away from the bed. Barely recovered from giving birth, she forced herself to fly, only to stop mid-air in her flight when seeing a sudden flash of lightning and someone floating ready to catch her babe. Both her and her godly ancestor Thor stared shocked at the baby laughing amusingly in delight while floating in mid-air like a snow drifting in the wintry cold wind.

After a few seconds, the doors of the royal chambers was opened by the appearance of a large glacier that split open. The Winter King began stepping outside at the same time the crazy mischievous laughter of Loki was heard.

"Nice one, isn't it, Jack?! I think you and I will get along pretty fine, with all the mischiefs, jokes, pranks and tricks we'll do! Think all the fun we will do!" Loki appeared, still teary-eyed from laughing loudly earlier, chuckled softly as he spoke at the infant floating before his fellow gods inside the vast chambers. "Your son is really from my blood and I like that, clearly we are bonding so well…"

"What do you mean from your blood?!" His serious brother remained floating in mid-air, ignored the baby boy cooing and tumbling like a slow-paced snowflake in the air before him. "He is not only yours, Loki. He came from me! And you almost had hurt him!"

"Hurt him?! My dear brother Thor! Why would I ever do that! I would never hurt him. Why accused me of harsh words?! You said it yourself, he also came from you. And from you, I mean, you are known to fly. It is in your innate nature. Yes, your nature to fly freely in the skies for you are the god of thunder, lightning and storms. The weather of all nine worlds follow your command. Wherever you are, the heavens are literally under your domain. So, without a doubt, he can fly." He gave a narrowed look at Thor, leaving his hiding place. "The problem with you, my brother, is that you can't trust me!"

"Trust you? I have long trusted you, Loki. But sometimes, I do not know how to trust you anymore. Ever since -…."

Loki snapped at him. " – ever since you fall in love with a mortal woman and sworn to be the protector of Midgard and its weak people who aren't ours to guard and defend. Aside from being one of the royalties amongst the mighty gods in Asgard, you had forgotten that you also got your own flesh and blood, your descendants here in Niflheim!" the clever god spoke with a sharp tongue. "I, for one, haven't! I am always here especially for my family. Remember, we have an agreement. All three of us. But what are words for you. Words never suffice to you. For you are a man of action - looking for adventure and battles of war. And just like the All-Father, you traveled often, but unlike him, you've forgotten some of your duties and responsibilities. As the All-Father and every other god would bypass your wrongs while they unfairly often looked at mine! All because you are the champion through your unparalleled strength and power - the most revered warrior god of Asgard."

"I can't be in every other place at the same time even if I wanted to! I could never split myself with magic unlike you. My powers differed from yours!" Thor slightly annoyed at his brother, but controlled his temper quickly, otherwise there will be a hell of a storm.

"And that is not the only offence you've done to me. The list goes back long, but we have our own houses in truce, and that truce is finally sealed permanent. Because now, a descendant was born with our mixed blood and clearly, gifted with our combined powers. And I think we could be back who we once were - as brothers." The god of mischief eyed his royal descendant who caught his own new born son in his hands before holding him in his arms.

"We can't linger here…" A voice interrupted the two godly brother while he remained looking from afar at his son, the present Winter King, who stood close with his family. He had stood motionless in silence for a very long time in darkness. Death's voice crept eerily. His hooded face raised up at the skies as if all gods are being called, including the three of them. "We have to go back to Asgard. Heimdallr had opened the rainbow bridge for all of us to assemble for All-Father Odin calls." As he spoke, the three of them slowly vanished before the royal family's sight.

Cornice slowly floated down and was embraced by the Winter King who whispered words that he was glad she and their son remained alive and well.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hi there, my dear readers. Yeah, I know, as any of you who had read my profile, I should have stopped writing. Why? Because of the disappointing low number of those who followed, liked and reviewed my previous three stories. But lo and behold! I had watched the trailer of Thor Ragnarok, and I'm all hype about it! Why you might ask? Of course, because of Loki. And let's just say, also Thor. It was so super epic and I would like to give this epic fantasy story of mine another chance. Hoping, the readers will love epic fantasy stories again. Like way back in 2015, my first epic fantasy story clicked, and lot of readers reviewed and followed (at least the number was a double digit then).

I was planning to put this story, "The Snow Drifter King" under the crossover of Rise of the Guardians and Thor movies, because this story was mostly about Jack and his relationships with his family, his friends, his comrades, and his ancestors, namely Loki and Thor. However, a piece of warning, there is just a tiny bit of Jelsa here. My reason, because Elsa gets to have her own character development story like this present story about Jack if, and only if the number of those following and reviewing will satisfy me. (Please, make it a 50 or more, even better a hundred more). But alas, Elsa is Jack's one true love. Sorry, to those who opposed this shipping couple, but those two are a powerful force of nature to be reckoned with. And if this story goes successful, Elsa's story – the Legendary Snow Queen will have lots of romance. Then, just maybe, if I will not tire out, I will be writing the last of my epic fantasy about Jack and Elsa, and their children, and the fights of the gods during the Ragnarok (of course, in Jack's and Elsa's versions, and not in Thor Ragnarok movie) .

I will be testing this story and will post it until chapter four in case everything does not work alright before I will completely abandon it. (Yep, it's hard to write stuff like this for free, and no one will ever acknowledge or even like it.) Honestly, I had finished ten chapters of it - hell yeah, all filled with Norse Mythology's fantasy, action and adventure. Yes, you heard me, Norse Mythology, so anyone who is as crazy about myths and legends and fantasy stuff. Come right in and immerse yourself with magic.

Again, thank you for those who had the time to read this story and will be following, reviewing and liking it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Mischief and Fun –**

She could hear his overjoyed laughter behind his royal room's doors as she approached the highest room in the Northern Wing of the imperial palace. Cornice entered her son's room, could not believe the mess of ice and snow piled at every corner of his room along with the wrecked silvery furniture while her energetic six year old son was jumping up and down on his bed and once in a while floated with a couple of soft winds playing around with him.

"Look, ma!" He was grinning, reached near the ceiling and does his reckless acrobatic triple tumbles that made his mother nervously blurted out when his head almost hit the crystal chandelier nearby.

"Jack, how many times did I told you to settle down?! You seemed unable to grow tired playing tricks and mayhem, sooner you will be brewing another ice storm again by gathering more winds. Come down here…I said come down here and don't even think of doing your mischievous pranks with your mother! Are you being stubborn again?! Don't you like me to tell you a new story…?"

The lively and carefree boy with his unruly white hair halted playing near the ceiling, immediately landed down towards his bed where his mother was seated, waiting for him to settle down for the night.

As soon as he felt his feet landed on the soft mattress of his bed, he obediently pulled his blankets and covers to tuck him in while his mother smiled in relief.

"I know you are a wild troublesome one, but deep inside, you are a good boy, Jack." She whispered, her hand stayed near her slightly bulging belly. "And I need you to be. Because months from now, you will have a baby sister, and you will be a good brother to her." She lovingly brushed her son's white hair with her other free hand before she started her story.

* * *

Cornice softened her voice when seeing her son had finally doze off. It must be the boredom of her forced monotonous voice, but she was glad that he had calm down. The last time she remembered he had unintentionally conjured a blizzard that destroyed the entire roof of the imperial palace. She slowly leaned down to give him a gentle kiss on the forehead before she slowly left his room by closing the doors behind her.

The moment his mother had left, the white haired boy opened his royal blue eyes. His brows furrowed in contemplation.

How could he sleep to briefly rest when the story of the little prince bothered him? The little prince who traveled many places and tried to go home to return back to his beloved thorn-filled rose. Heck, it was a sad, but a beautiful story. Even if the prince died after being bitten by the snake, Jack believed the little prince returned back home to his rose. And if he is in the little prince's shoe, he would do the same thing, except that he had to look for his own unique rose, and return home with his beloved rose. At least, it was not the worst he heard like the story of the boy who did not like to grow up, and beguiled other children to go with him in a magical place where they will never grow up, and will be battling the pirates. Wait, why did he hate that story again?! Right, it seemed the story was similar to his own life. He's eternally young, he would age slowly, and will never grow so old - he's after all, an immortal who will live forever, like everyone who was born in Niflheim. However, even though they're immortals, they can be killed. And the truth was he hated his own life. He was masking himself for the sake of not wanting his mother to see him sad. She always wanted him to smile, to be always happy.

The boy threw away his blankets away and drew near the window. With his concealed loneliness, Jack viewed his other royal half-brothers playing with themselves at the other side of western wing of the palace. They were aware of him, but they ignored him as if he never existed. To them, he was an invisible ghost, because he's still different and they didn't gave him a chance to be a brother to them. They didn't like a part of him. A part of him that was once an enemy house of their royal house. They hated he had other powers that they don't have, and yet have the same powers they all possessed.

As he watched them near his window, he bit his lower lips with a twinge of envy mixed with determination and hope that they might somehow allow him to join them with their fun when seeing them enjoying so much in their playful little game as they were laughing and throwing snowballs at each other.

He had made up his mind, he could no longer stay here alone in his room and keep pretending that he never existed. Still in his blue pajamas and ignoring he was barefooted, he opened his window and decided to join in their merriment, allowed the wintry winds to carry him towards the opposite side of the wall, and over the wall, and down the opened courtyard.

* * *

As his foot landed on the snow-covered ground, his royal brothers stopped playing. Their laughter died down and their joyful looks turned into overwhelming irritation, jealousy, and hatred. Their cold silence was broken down when one of them spoke upon seeing Jack grabbed a cupful of snow in his hands and forming it into a ball hoping to join and play with them.

"Your persistence never cease to amaze us?! Truly it had become a constant annoyance to us! And still here you are after last week when we pushed you down from the Southern tower. Unfortunately, you surprised us that you can fly. You, an arrogant showoff, giving us more reasons to shun you, a freak!" His brother did not finished as another sibling shouted at Jack in disgust.

"Yeah! Freak! You are not one of us! Why would we call you our brother?!"

His angry shouts were not enough as he approached Jack and punched him hard, making Jack fall down in shock, tasting his own blood on the corner of his lips while eyeing his snowball rolled away and trampled down by one of his brothers. It was not the way they hurt him physically, which he could take, but what comes next had made the royal blue eyed boy to lose control.

"You are not our brother because your mother is not from our royal house! Your mother is a whore from the lineage of a warmongering sky god -….!"

His royal sibling wasn't able to splutter more hateful words when the heavens darkened and winds howled and started gathering ice, spiraling into a horrible snowstorm coupled with furious lightings and thunders. It became worst when a deadly lightning hit a lifeless snow-covered tree in the courtyard where his brothers stood nearby, devastating the tree by splintering it into countless of pieces.

Not only the terrible sight made them scampered, leaving their brother still down on the ground, but the sound of the entire imperial palace awakened and alarmed that made the royal guards and servants hurried outside to check the commotion.

Struggling up to his feet when realizing the troubling weather was caused by his tumultuous emotions, Jack hurried to sneak back inside the palace while the ugly destructive weather slowly subsided.

* * *

As soon as he was inside, he hid immediately under the main staircase while he could hear his father's kingly authoritative voice ordering his imperial guards. His father's voice soon faded away after a few minutes, replaced by the sight of some servants meeting and reporting to his worried mother who walked passed before his sight while other people from his father's court dashed to and fro in a hurry before they were gone in his view.

Slowly he stepped back, retreating to the darkest corner under the stairs before he lowered himself into a crouch, had let the silence, the darkness and the cold be his companions.

He tried to swallow back the burdening loneliness, but couldn't when a tear rolled down from one of his eyes and fell towards the cold crystal ground before him. The white haired boy stared at his tear that turned frozen before it reached on the floor. Bursting into a puff of snow which started to drift around him, Jack slowly grabbed hold one of the snowflakes and tried to shove away his sadness by conjuring it to glide and swirl on his open palm as if it was gracefully dancing to comfort him.

But his solitude did not lasted long when someone appeared and stepped near the miserable and lonely boy.

"Six years I've watched you, and really you amused yourself with this?!"

Jack summoned magically away his snowflake, lifted his eyes at the one speaking at him in the darkness.

"Come on, Jack! You could do better than this. We have a lot of fun times! And earlier should be fun to you too, you literally scared them to death!"

His glinting grin seemed to illuminate in the darkness around them while the boy's royal blue eyes followed the god of mischief who lowered himself down on the little boy's eye level.

"They deserved it, didn't they?! The truth is I've been a little disappointed, you should have retaliated more! Hurt them as they had hurt you!"

Loki does an ordinary magic trick, he materialized a card, a King of Spades, and soon he wickedly morphed it into an ice-cold steel, a dagger, that he played around his fingers before he multiplied the dangerous weapon and juggled all the blades to amuse the boy before he threw it high above and magically changed the daggers into a golden spear, that he pierced mercilessly on the ground like a real bloodthirsty fiend he is.

"And that my dear boy is how you do it." Upon saying those words, Loki's eyes slightly glowed briefly.

He quickly altered his vileness into playful mischiefs and tricks as not to scare the wind swept haired boy for he deeply could relate himself, his discriminated and misunderstood existence with Jack.

They were both outcast for being rejected by people who supposed to be their family. For he could see his once younger self in the white haired boy before him. "Don't stay and mope here for eternity! Don't let them defeat you all over again. They will hate you, and you will hate them back! If they cut you with a knife, cut them with a sword. If they burn you with a torch, then burn them with a rain of hellfire." The cunning god chuckled darkly. "Put my mischief and your fun together, they will have mayhem and chaos!" He held out his hand towards the boy. "I will give you what I wasn't able to give to your ancestors and your brothers who I longed mentored and molded as my own prodigies. I will treat you most special for you reminded me of my own self way back - trampled down, ignored, and isolated by those stronger and powerful than me as I lived under their shadows. Now, I equaled and opposed them because of my wit, words and sorcery. Come with me, Jack. We will travel far from here. Into another world where we will have a hell of a time!"

* * *

As he stood up to join Loki, their surroundings vanished and was soon replaced by another world. A world he never seen before. It was beautiful, but unlike his own Niflheim, this world had all the elements of nature combined for its people.

The boy slightly moved aside when mortal people were walking near them, busy with their work and other mundane activities that they do with their short-lived lives.

"Behold, Midgard where aimless and weak-minded mortals lived astray! And here, we will have our little fun!" Loki's smile turned into a devilish sneer.

Deep inside, he hated this world. The world his brother, Thor, sworn to protect. But also a world so much loved by a particular goddess he loathed.

"Go on, Jack, there are no rules here. You could do anything here with me. No one can see and hear us! Take for example…." Loki pointed his hand and magically conjured a dung left by the passing horses on the busy street to appear on the pavement. The foul excrement was stepped by a horrified man with a distinct position in his society who was fashionably dressed enough to go to an important party, had recently left a high-end shoe shop and had ignored the merry children singing carols and asking for alms.

Both immortals bellowed laughing while Loki started gesturing at Jack to do his turn. The boy gave a wide mischievous grin, summoned his inherent power of frosts targeting the same man who this time curses under his breath, wiping desperately his newly bought boots which were soiled.

The man's thoughts were revealed magically by Loki's power.

He had no time for this. He will be late with an appointment with the King of Arendelle.

The mortal man moved a step, only to slip on the sheet of ice that appeared from nowhere, slid further on the side of the road where piles of horse dung are.

Loki roared with laughter, gave a series of playful skips towards the fallen man who was now cursing the gods.

"Yes! Vent your anger! Hate everyone, even yourself! Destroy yourself and your stupid fellow beings! You blame everything when things don't go your own way! You also blame the gods! Do you know you mortals shouldn't curse your own gods! That is what you get you vain ugly petty creature controlled by your emotions!" Loki was taunting at the man who was oblivious of his presence.

The lord of mischief did not realized the immortal boy he was mentoring in his nasty ways, stood motionless at the far side when a platinum blonde girl wearing a dark ocean blue dress and a midnight blue cloak with trimmings of white fur, left a chocolate shop nearby and briefly spoke at the stunned white haired boy whose eyes twitched upon hearing her words.

"That's not nice."

Hearing a voice beside him, the white haired boy turned to face her. "W-What…?!"Jack's royal blue eyes locked at her.

"What did he do to deserve that? But even if he offended you, that was never fair."

"Y-You…can see me…?!" Jack stammered, feeling guilt and shame, his words trailing off. Lowering his face, the white haired boy's astounded eyes noticed and stared lingeringly at the girl's bare hands, which were never bothered by the intolerable bitter cold of the winter season and by his extreme wintry cold presence.

"Of course, I can see you and what you did with the ice. I could see, hear and feel them - the snow, the ice and the cold." She spoke while holding the handle of her newly bought box of chocolates for her to share with her youngest sister.

A graceful elder woman with intricate features with her long brown hair tied into a bun, and wearing rich hues of lilacs and magenta elegant royal robes halted a few paces, ignored her other female escorts and royal guards when realizing her eldest daughter was trailing slightly behind her, called her name.

"Elsa…?!"

She was shocked when her daughter was talking at no one. She tried to composed herself, was aware and knew some children play with their so-called imaginary friends. A child of her tender age was no different. It was a time when a child's mind was filled with fertile imaginations. The queen slowly drew near her dear eldest girl. "Come, my dear, we don't want your father and your sister, Anna, to wait for us that long, don't you?" She paused when Elsa held her hand inside her box of chocolates and offered a chocolate to nobody.

"Here, want one. My mother's calling me, and I don't want my father and my sister to wait long for us …"

Upon seeing her child acted so weirdly, the queen quickly grabbed little Elsa and carried her six year old daughter with burgeoning fear especially when they were out here in the public and the people around might start to notice the princess and her concealed secrets that only she and her husband, the king, knows.

Dropping her offered chocolate as soon as her mother held her and hurried towards their awaiting royal carriage parked nearby, Elsa viewed the strange pale boy bended down to grab her offered chocolate on the snow-covered ground. Curiously, he observed and sniffed at it before unwrapping the chocolate's wrapping, and have taken a bite, then swallowing it whole. After he swallowed it, Jack smiled wide happily with his known toothy grin at the girl who bit her lips to prevent herself from laughing loudly, smiled radiantly back at him who had no idea that the chocolate had smeared his pearly white teeth. She wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and lost sight of him when her mother entered their carriage.

He viewed the elder woman carried the girl he was talking to, and hurried as if the mother had seen a ghost or worst. The carriage drove off instantly, followed by other escorted carriages pulled by four pair of horses.

The sight disappeared when Loki came to view once more before him, alarmed that the boy had eaten a food in that world.

"Hey!" Loki lowered down to have an eye level with Jack. "Spit that out! We don't eat lower being's food especially mortal humans!"

"But it's good!"

"Good?!"

Jack bewildered at Loki's furious reaction when he spoke the word good. The lord of mischief was fuming. He tried to explain before his godly ancestor's face will be flashing red with full blown fury. "What's wrong?! I didn't steal it! She gave it to me…"

The horned god's eyes widened when hearing the boy's words. It was an act of compassion. And the boy like the very nature of ice, and like the ice's closest ally, the moon, reflected such manners. And he didn't like it at all. He had intended to initiate the boy in the icy winds of his twistedness. He brought Jack here to raze the damn world little by little, but not to be shone by the light of kindness.

He was about to punch the ground to bring catastrophe in that accursed place, but he had halted when he felt the very land where they were standing had a powerful counter magic, and had repelled his own devastating powers, prompting Loki to stand up and viewed keenly the sudden magical appearances of petals of white winter roses swirling in the wind.

"Damn!" Loki whispered under his breath. He had placed them in a wrong place. And he knew they have to go before her very presence will appear before them. Because, the moment she will, it will be confronting the council of the gods, and his father, Odin, will be one of them, who he will be facing and his lies and deceit will be of no use.

He quickly placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and left immediately the mortal world, returning back to Niflheim.

* * *

Unable to move, Loki just gave an annoying wide smile when seeing streams of lightning around him while the winter prince beside him was pulled by his own mother who embraced him tight.

"Why am I not surprised?" Loki held out both of his hands, showing he is unarmed before Thor who frowned at him while his descendant, the Winter King, drew near with a glare at his own godly ancestor. "Oh right, Jack's mother could call you anytime, my brother. She was after all from your direct blood." He paused, rolled his eyes away from Thor to his furious royal descendant. "I can't help it, it is my nature, seeing my own young descendant, all alone. What way for me to wipe off Jack's sad frown but to turn it upside down into a smile!"

"Don't tell me you went to Midgard to cause trouble there! I swore I will protect that world." Thor clutched his weapon, Mjölnir. Knowing he will never allow Loki to tell lies, sought for a more truthful answer, eyed at little Jack. "Jack, did he bring you in Midgard? Did he kill anyone?"

"Jack did not need to answer your question, brother. " Loki's eyes narrowed piercingly. "For he was so exhausted with the fun we had, he doesn't recall a thing that occurred." Upon saying such the little white haired prince felt his eyelids felt heavy, surrendered to sleep with his sight of the god of thunder turning blurry. Cornice caught her son before he fell down, viewed Thor almost lost his temper when realizing what Loki had done to outwit him with his magic. Thor quickly grabbed hold of Loki's collar.

"You made him forget everything! There is one reason you did that, Loki! You didn't like what happened there. Whatever you were planning backlashed at you!" Thor pushed his brother after letting him go. "And you hated it. You hated everything that is of good, especially of lov-…."

"Don't you even dare say her name and her power!" Loki's most gut-wrenching words lashed at Thor, ignoring his royal descendants gathered around him and Thor. "It seemed you two are still keeping secrets from me just like before! You with her behind my back!" The god of thunder fell in absolute miserable silence when seeing Loki's eyes filled with raw anguish of being betrayed as if he had unmasked Loki and saw the truth long hidden by his brother. It was filled with unforgettable pain, that even time would never heal, making Thor faced away with a hint of guilt for the first time, prompting the most powerful god of Asgard to immediately fly away.

Loki remained still with his head lowered. His face covered with shadows as he gave a dark maddening chuckle while rolls of tears, not of mirth, fell across his face. He stopped his insane laughter after a few seconds when he had completely gathered himself back again, gave out a high-held authoritative look, showing he is the dominant god lord of Niflheim, especially in the lands of his Great Royal House, the Frosti Family.

"The lord of thunder is forbidden to step here so are his kin." Loki spoke up for everyone to hear, while Cornice's eyes were filled with flooding tears, knew what that meant - that their once fragile short-lived peace was now shattered.

Loki did not stare at her and her little boy sleeping in her arms. She almost drew near her husband, but the Winter King was clearly an unbending blind follower of his godly ancestor, did not moved an inch to face her. For him and his entire royal house, Loki's commands are the law.

Giving his most brutal orders, Loki whispered. "Kill everyone not our own."

Quickly, she summoned her strongest ice storms to protect her and her child as they flee, flying up high towards the skies where the clouds hid them until they were safely back in the protection of her own home in the heavens.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Counting the days until Thor Ragnarok Movie Shows. I'm so excited, except the excitement seemed to have ebbed away when I have checked out this story's stats. Out of 74 views, I only received one review, 3 follows, and 2 likes for two weeks. Thank you so much for these people who did follow, like, and reviewed, even how few.

Seriously, I've regretted posting this story in this fanbase, which was kinda silent and cold (Sheesh! I know all of you admire Elsa and wished to be like her, and hoping Jack Frost is your boy toy).

Losing the motivation and interest to continue writing, two more chapters and I will be surrendering and ending my epic fantasy stories within this year. (I'll be counting down until December of this year, and then, good bye forever.) And I'll be back wasting my time on gaming instead rather than writing fanfiction. :-(

But I am still hopeful and grateful for those who are loyal enough to follow, like and will review these stories until it reached the desired number 50 or even a 100 which is a lot better.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - A Flash of Courage and Strength -**

It must have been his innate instincts of mischief, alarming and waking him back to his consciousness as the winter prince still did not open his eyes, could hear curious whispers nearby where he was sleeping.

"Shh, I think he's stirring up! Let's leave before it will be too late for us…." The chiding voice continued, hesitating to further join in by putting up tricks with his companion. "Father told us to let our royal cousin be! But no, you and your stupid ideas will get me involved with you again, brother?! I betcha we'll be having our asses whipped again by our father because of your never-ending excuses of wanting to take a closer look at anything that interests you!"

"Are you putting the blame on me again?! You, yourself, told me you curiously want to know more about our cousin too since it's his first time being here and living with us. Besides, we want to play with him. He's from the House of Loki. And we heard that they're having lots of wicked crazy fun down there! It's a way for us of welcoming him the way his House would do with their guests. So, we have to outwit the trickster before he would endlessly prank us back. It's one of the tactics of being a Warrior of Ice - strike the enemy first before he can strike at us …" A courageous but mischievous voice replied back to his brother, controlling not to laugh loudly when he conjured a ticklish wind that lifted the bed covers to tickle their cousin's feet.

Instead of jumping out from bed and hitting the nearby wire tied to the bucket of ice cold water hanging above his bed, which his cousins from the House of Thorleif expected him to be, the unpredictable white haired boy does a silent winter spell which he learned and imitated from Loki - he separated himself through illusions, by cloning his own image.

The bucket of ice cold water did not fell as his own summoned frosts appeared and spread across the ceiling, freezing the bucket into place while his stunned cousins were staring up before they've turned around to view the real Jack wide awake behind them.

Giving the usual wide mischievous smile courtesy from his other House, Jack gave an impish sly look "You call that a prank. Now, this is the real prank."

The two older boys were restrained by Jack's powerful frosts, unable to move before the twins were blown away by strong wintry winds.

* * *

Feeling the strong impact of their fall against the thick snowy ground, one of the twins struggled up to his feet, spoke up what he just pondered and realized while his other twin brother stretched his back, checking ridiculously if his back and his other limbs were still attached in his body.

"Damn it! He's pretending to be asleep and that clone image was his decoy while he used his frosts above the ceiling to divert our attention when he had his frosts on the floor boards to restrain us down!"

"Not bad at all for a clever little twig! But all I have to say, it's the first time we've been outsmarted by a genuine prankster from the House of the Master Trickster himself." His brother gave a competitive look that they could do better while his more rational twin was unable to speak again, became motionless when people outside halted working and training, stared at them. Sudden boisterous giggles and laughters burst around them. "Hey, Frain?! You're turning redder than usual…"

Frain forced to reply his twin brother, Squall. "Can't you see?! This is our cousin's real prank?! His winter winds did not only threw us away from our Main House. We're practically bare naked!"

Frain embarrassed, shapeshifted immediately into a white snowy owl and flew as fast as he could while Squall humorously tried to cover what is between his legs before he shapeshifted into a white falcon and tried to fly high only to hit a nearby snow-covered pine tree, returning back into his human shape before he morphed again into another animal, a scampering winter wolf while he was avoiding everyone's look whom he passed by in the cloudy cobblestoned streets of their city high above the skies.

* * *

Like what his twin brother had said, their asses were whipped by their father, Hail, who always sees to it that his sons had to be disciplined. And they have received discipline with his harsher warrior training during the rest of the entire day.

The long tied-haired Warrior of Ice with short white beard dismissed his sons when he requested one of his warriors to call his nephew Jack.

As soon as Jack came inside the Thorleif's grand training hall, every warrior was asked to leave while their cobalt blue eyed stoic leader remained standing in solitude and silence, facing the center where their House emblem was forged and engraved by the very lightning of their godly ancestor, Thor.

Upon hearing the towering and thick wooden doors were closed by the last Warrior of Ice who departed with his fellow warriors, Hail turned to face Jack. "I apologize for my sons' rambunctious behaviors. They are from my blood, and from Thor's, and yet, they acted like they from your other godly ancestor's Loki. It must be from their mother's. My long deceased wife, Lady Gale, the Elvish Shapeshifting High Huntress of the Wilderness, was after all from Lysalvheim, the realm of the light elves who are known to be a very playful kind. Since it is your first time of being here with us, and hearing that you were partly from the Royal House of Frosti, like every warrior of my House would feel - intimidated but also challenged."

"I think I had started to get the use of such treatment…" The royal blue eyed boy replied back his uncle. There was no bitterness in his words, but Jack gave his usual plastered calm face. This time, Jack had enough, he was pushing back at the ones pushing him, just like Loki had advised him, but the boy had not completely taken in with the destructiveness and evilness which Loki wanted him to be. His uncle gave a brief mild look, understanding the difficult burden the boy was placed with, just like his sister, the boy's mother was.

"You were wondering where your mother is. She's currently in Asgard, courageously hoping to seek audience with the majority of the elder gods to get into their council, consisting of All-Father Odin himself and the other higher gods." He paused for a moment, reminisced his younger days. "My sister always had this dream. A dream she always wanted to fulfill. She always told me, our parents, and our family, that one day she will make that dream come true. A dream of peace. A peace long secretly yearned by everyone else in Niflheim. And I believed her. I still believe in her. And to have that dream, my sister had you." His words trailed off. His stoic cobalt blue eyes locked in Jack's royal blue eyes as if searching if those words are true, and his belief in him is real. "You belonged from two Great Houses. And you will always be. Since you are partly from Thor, I have to train you as a Warrior of Ice. My father was a Warrior of Ice, so was his ancestors before him, and even my mother, and my younger sister, your mother."

After stating an introduction, Hail placed his hands together before him and an ice cold steel materialized out from nowhere as its long blade glowed blue by his own icy powers.

"Before I train you, I want to know what kind of prince you are. Are you going to be a brainless and useless puppet of a prince to be used by others who will pull your strings in their shadowy ambitions? Or a deceiving and corrupt politician of a prince who knows nothing but to utter worthless speeches and broken promises? What kind of leader will you be someday? A leader who is truly worthy for my House to someday follow as our Winter King. A great and wise King who we will all serve, protect and die for - just to fulfill and to live in my sister's dream of peace. A peaceful Niflheim where our children's children will safely and freely live in." He concluded his words. "Tonight, my sons will guide you to your answer. And if you are successful to have such answer, then you will be trained as one of us - to be a Warrior of Ice."

* * *

Jack could barely eat his dinner. He kept thinking what his uncle meant a couple of hours ago. When he was about to take a piece of his sliced steak, one of his cousins darted swiftly beside him, grabbing his full attention inside the large dining hall of the Thorleif's Main House.

"Nice little trick you pulled back earlier by letting our balls froze off for everyone to see, cousin! But that does not mean we surrender ourselves and follow you, even if you are a high-born royal prince!" Stubborn-headed Squall sat near Jack like a raging bully in front of the younger and smaller boy, whispering loathsome words matched by his annoying look and intimidating tone of voice. "And there are three ways how you outwitted us. A - you're an expert trickster coming from Loki's line. Two, you're sleek and fast because you're younger, smaller and thinner. And finally, D - you're just lucky because we allowed you to have your first beginner's luck. But with our next confrontation, you won't be lucky anymore, because of my incredible brawns. Plus, Frain will be helping me how I will be snapping you like a twig when it comes to strength, just look at these lean mean muscles that I inherited from our ancestor, Thor, the powerful warrior god of thunder!"

Jack dropped surprisingly his utensils and stared wide-eyed with his face turning distorted, cringing uneasily at Squall's air-headedness while Frain slapped his open palm on his own face and shook his head in disappointment and humiliation after hearing his twin brother's words, giving a look how he sometimes wanted to be the only child.

"You see, I left you speechless." He looked at his twin, gave an arrogant gaze with his electric blue eyes. "Look, brother, our cousin Jack is speechless because of my strength and power…."

"Wow!" Jack sarcastically interrupted rudely at Squall. "You really did, cousin! Truth is you are so awesome, I was so blown away! No wonder, your name fits you - Squall. Because words that came out from you could really make someone who listened to you ten thousand times dumber than they once were. May the All-Father have pity on you."

"Why would the All-Father have pity on me?! He will be proud of me, just like Odin is proud of his son, Thor?!" Squall scratched his head, turned to face at Frain, asking for his interpretation as if he was hearing foreign words for the first time. But Frain became indifferent and passive like their other companions who remained eating their dinner inside the grand hall while Jack's face twitched with shocked realization.

Living for six years in the Main Capital where the Royal House of Frosti was, Jack was mentored constantly by Loki, also known to be the cunning lord of persuasive words who twisted those same words during flyting, debates and speeches, had passed such expertise skill to his royal descendants. If highest intelligent learning and eloquent words were favored in the lazy, selfish, ambitious, and deceitful House of Loki, what they lack is - action.

On the other hand, in his other House, the House of Thorleif, it differed so much. After staying here briefly, the tousled haired boy observed the prided people here were less of words, more of deeds. And when words were spoken, they were simple but honored. When complicated words were spoken like the way he have spoken to Squall, confusion and misunderstanding arose, and it was replied by suspicion and indifference from them.

And Jack soon realized how the two Houses were completely polar opposites, and how he came from a union of two great but terribly dysfunctional families - a dangerous combination of Thor and Loki.

"Hey! You're unusually silent again! Seemed your silver tongued skill, which you inherited from the Lord of Mischief, had turned to lead?!" Squall snapped Jack away from his thoughts.

"No, I was just thinking." Jack turned somber while Frain left his seat and approached them. "Uncle Hail said you and your brother will be guiding me tonight?" The wind swept haired boy eyed at Frain who placed his hand on Squall's shoulder to listen up. His more dim-witted twin fell silent as Frain spoke.

"Yeah. We will be guiding you where you will be taking your first test. All you need to show is how much you are not like your other ancestor, Loki. Because you have to muster all the courage you have to find your answer to our father's questions."

* * *

Loving the strong gust of winds brushed alongside his arms and face, Jack gave a faint sincere smile. He always loved flying, he always felt so free every time he flies.

Six years living in the House of Loki, Jack wasn't able to fly and to feel free as much as he like to unlike he had been experiencing that moment. Even though, he had stayed briefly here in the clouded city in the heavens, Jack felt he belonged here in the skies than in any place he had wished. If life here was austere, and their own home was never filled with splendid wealth but of plain and simple things that could be own for practical use, he felt carefree and light-hearted here. At least, there was no sense of complicated pressures and anxieties which he had always felt in the Capital where the Royal Imperial Grand Palace was in the icy lowlands down below. As for his uncle who was a serious stoic warrior and his cousins who were competitive and insecure towards him, Jack believed he would rather have them as companions than his own overwhelmingly jealous and hateful royal half-brothers, and his ever-busy and always-absent father of a Winter King.

A brief moment of Jack's delight and reflections had come to an end when he felt the weather had changed as the wintry winds were getting stronger and harsher when they went higher. That night, they flew nearby the groups of huddled cotton-shaped greying clouds in the starry skies.

"It's good to know you could fly! Because we will not be carrying you high up here! My brother and I swore when we fly, we will only be carrying girls to impress them." Squall taunted Jack again while Frain was leading Jack to where he needed to be, halted in mid-air when seeing a particular darkening cluster of storm clouds which formed slowly into an enormous tornado upon sensing their presence.

"You need to go through there, alone." Frain floated beside Jack, pointed at the massive tornado that started to be accompanied by numerous streaks of lightning.

"You gotta be kidding me? Do you think I am stupid enough to fly there, I will be electrocuted and melted to death by those-…"

"I told you, brother, our cousin is a yellow-bellied chicken! He's a he-bitch of a loser like his coward ancestor Loki! OK, whiny princess, go back home where you're safe." Squall blurted out, annoying Jack whose lips twisted into an unamused frown.

"Well, that's your problem, not ours!" Frain coldly replied Jack. "Unless, you want to go back to our cloudy home and endure every whisper behind your back, murmuring how dishonorable you really are, even if you are a winter prince." His cousin gave a disrespectful look at Jack. "A winter prince who I will never follow as our next possible Winter King. How could someone follow a coward and a failure, especially those who will follow you are the distinguished Warriors of Ice! We are not elite warriors of Niflheim for nothing! And for great warriors, we need a great leader! Not some fraud from the royal bloodline of a deceitful and lying god!" Frain flew away without saying goodbye at Jack while Squall gave a few obnoxious words of goodbye.

"You're on your own, twig! Besides, girls don't dig boys without balls, even how nice of a gentleman you are! Just think of Thor, our ancestor, and how he ended up with the most gorgeous women. Good luck in extending your royal lineage!" Laughing, Squall flew speedily away.

* * *

After his cousins left him, Jack seemed to struggle within himself. His basic instinct of survival and his rational self of knowing the obvious outcome if he will proceed towards his risky trial was clashing against another part of him who was finding the challenge so dangerous, that it had intoxicated his mind and heart into pure excitement. He began encircling the vast stormy skies repeatedly, like a crazed lunatic, loving the idea that he could test his limits to find out what he could really achieve from it.

Jack ceased flying around it, started to observe and study the way the powerful gusts of winds and the lightning currents move. After finding his own strategy by timing his way in, Jack knew that once he had taken the course, there's no way of turning back, he had to keep moving forward, and let courage forever stay in his heart.

 _Here goes nothing! I am going in! Because I want to know what is inside the eye of that giant storm! And I will!_

After crazily talking to himself, Jack gritted his teeth, summoned his powers of frosts to make himself a thick ice armor before he gave a deep breath and timed his entry after the lightning disappeared and reappeared repeatedly.

His armor was not only for his protection, he meant to scattered it into countless pieces as soon as he had entered. Jack shattered his armor of ice and used his own winds to scattered them around him as he twisted around flying against the powerful winds. He viewed his strategy worked for a couple of minutes until there's no more ice for the lightning to strike against. The countless flashes of lightning speedily stormed towards him.

The boy wide-eyed viewed his power instinctively protected him, creating a windy shield, but he knew his shield will not last long as more streaks of lightning bombarded him, making his fading shield to completely vanish. With Jack vulnerable against such power, his last option was to evade and reach the safest area which was the eye of the storm.

As soon as he reached the eye of the storm, Jack felt a lightning powerfully hit him. He thought at first that he will be losing consciousness, or worst, be burning into a melted crisp. But it seemed the lightning itself had no effect at him after he landed on the large floating rock in the center of the eye of the storm and viewed the lightning had just spread harmlessly throughout his body. In disbelief, Jack stared at his arms and torso as if he was being powered up instead, not realizing his very eyes glowed with the bluish lightning.

"Feeling better, don't you?" A familiar voice interrupted Jack who faced Thor. "You never expected lightning does not affect you. Well, I can't blame you for living in my brother's House for six years! Anyone who has my own blood flowing in their veins will never be harmed by my lightning…" He drew near his descendant and gave Jack a welcoming hug. "Glad you passed the test of my own House, Jack."

"And I thought that I'm a melted goner…"

"No, you're never a goner. I'm not my brother, Loki. I do not kill for the pleasure, entertainment, or whatever hidden twisted idea I had. I protect the nine realms, including my people and my family." He smiled for a moment at the boy. "Where did you learned that strategy? No one uses any strategy when entering here, just their courage. I saw everything from here."

"You mean that trick I've just done?"

"That was no cheap plain trick. That is a brilliant tactic! And in every fight, and in every battle in war, every warrior needs more than one strategy. You see, you don't just need your heart when you fight, you need to use your mind when you confront and battle against your opponents."

"I thought when you fight, you need only strength. Squall said brawns-…"

"No one lives by physical strength alone," The god of thunder replied the winter prince. "As time will pass, you will get to know your own style of fighting, you cannot just take everything in, without progressing further. You have to think out of the box too. See the bigger picture. Everyone will have their own self-discovery, I for once did. That my power comes from me, and me alone, and how I had to use it for the greater good of all. Come…" Thor gestured Jack as they both fly higher above the eye of the storm, which was his own created dimension.

The powerful god of thunder and the little god of winter remained floating side by side as soon as they reached the highest skies and came to view the entire cold realm of Niflheim for them to see.

"Once in a while, I will be the one to personally train you as a warrior. Just promise me, you will finished training with your uncle, Hail, as a Warrior of Ice, Jack. To be their leader, one must become one of them, in order for you to understand them and to lead them with justice and compassion. And for them to be your loyal followers." Thor paused before he continued speaking again. "A great king cannot be a king without his great people, and his people will never be a great people without their great king." Thor reminisced with a faint smile. "My father, Odin, and I once spoke about how to be a wise king. A wise king never seeks out war but he must be ready for it. Someday, you will be a great and wise king of your own realm, Jack, and when your time comes, I hope just like your mother had long dreamt of - it will be a golden time of cool peace." After stating such thought-provoking words, Thor faded slowly in front of Jack as Heimdallr, the god-watcher of the rainbow bridge had open the Bifröst to teleport the god of thunder back to Asgard.

* * *

As soon as he returned back, Jack was surprised when seeing Hail was waiting for him at the very gates of his cloudy abode. He did not congratulated the boy, but spoke in relation to his questions, which he wanted the boy to answer.

"My nephew, your important answer is what I need before I let you in my House."

Jack noticed the urgent seriousness in his voice, shoved away his fatigue because of his exhausting test earlier.

"A great and wise king cannot be a king without his great people, and his people will never be a great people without their great and wise king." The boy expounded his own enlightened words. "And to be the leader who they wished him to be, he had to inspire the greatness in all of them. And with this deed - it is for him to be great."

After hearing such words, Hail kneeled, bowed and gestured his fisted hand near his chest, while everyone followed behind Hail. The head of the warrior of ice whispered. "Then, please enter my abode, and I will always follow you so does every kin in my House." His uncle let him enter first, then followed him like his eternal guard while Jack frowned faintly of such distinct royal attention until his uneasiness ebbed away when seeing his mother had finally arrived and had left the Main House to meet him. Cornice drew happily near her son who hurried towards her. She was reunited with her son whom she embraced, while Jack replied back by embracing her.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hi my dear readers! It's been more than a month and I see only few had followed and liked my story even though I received more than two hundred views or reads. I would like to thank the recent two reviewers for writing thought-provoking reviews. (My reply to _The Universe of Imagination_ 's question – Good question. I have no real idea why so few had followed and reviewed). But you two reviewers gave me the motivation to edit and publish this third chapter. One more chapter to know the results (if I have reached my goal), and everything have to come to an end to this epic-fantasy story, " _The Snow Drifter King_ ".

Talking about fanfiction. I was inspired to write it during the height of Jelsa phenomenon, especially after I have read three fascinating fanfictions in 2014, which I would like to pay a tribute for giving me the inspiration of writing my epic-fantasy stories, which were slightly based on their respective stories.

Sadly, one of them was left unfinished (the story had stopped at chapter nine), even how excellent the author had written her/his story, making me write fantasy fanfiction stories in order to quell my thirst of the magical world which she/he had written. (I was left giddy during her story, particularly the Jelsa romantic moments.) Many readers might have guessed that I have based Jack's background as a mythical god of winter in that story (thumbs up to those who got the right answer). I guess the author had long lost her interest to continue her story.

The second fanfiction had ended with a high note. I still remembered Jack and Elsa had married, had children, and even though Elsa died, she became a powerful immortal who had the power of time. And I know some of you know what story I am referring to. (Disappointingly, I forgot the name of the author and the title of the story.)

Lastly, the third fanfiction story recently ended. I found the first part of her fanfiction story truly exciting and wonderful, where Jack's a royal like Elsa, compared from the majority and usual fanfiction stories written about Jelsa.

There are also a handful of brilliant Jelsa stories that I have read, but I don't have the time to summarize each one of them which inspired some of my fantasy stories. To be honest, reading and writing fanfiction stories had helped me improve my grammar and spelling.

Again, thank you so much for following, liking and reviewing my stories. Please feel free to ask or review again, or just PM me if you are interested to know more about the characters in my story or anything about the stories. And if you are very interested in more Norse mythology-inspired epic-fantasy stories, just read my other previous stories.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - A Cunning Stratagem –**

And so years passed slowly like the cold winds blowing softly the curtains near his window…

Until he heard that annoying noise which pulled him away from his calming rest…

He was semi-conscious; a part of his mind still in his dream world where he was enjoying his wind snowboarding tricks, namely his Backside Triple Cork 1620 and Half-Cab Quadruple Backflip in his own winter wonderland dimension, while the other part was waking dizzily from his mother's loud voice, repeating like a broken crow of a moon rooster as if the pitiful bird was being strangled by his uncle, Hail, in the Thorleif Family's grand training hall.

"Wake up, my sleepy head son, it's time to face a new day!"

"W-What…?!" The nine year old boy was forcing himself to rise up while his eyes struggled to open upon sensing that new day wasn't there yet.

"Do you want me to call for the servants to serve your breakfast in bed?!' His mother's sarcastic voice rang into his ears while Jack yawned and stretched lazily. "For three years, I thought you had been used to being self-reliant and reliable. Come on, up you go! A promise is a promise and you had to honor your word. We spoke about this yesterday, and you said you will be watching your sister for the entire day since I had to go to a meeting with the council of elders and your uncle, Hail."

Ignoring his white hair was more disheveled as he struggled out of his bed, Jack eyed his mother all dressed in a combined noble lady's formal sapphire colored attire, representing the Thorleif House, and her silvery upper armor, paired with her wrist guards as a Warrior of Ice. "You're going now?" Her son questioned her as she hurried to grab her long boots outside his room and headed down the stairs while he followed her, still barefooted and wearing his frost-designed navy blue pajamas. "But I thought you were going after lunch, how about my scheduled task to buy food at the city's market?"

"No, you will never again buy our food. I've regretted assigning you with that task. Last time you bought food, you bought the entire candy shop! You and your sister ended up hyperactive! I couldn't catch up with you two, especially you and your crazy obsession with sugary frostings and sweets, just like your silly reckless addiction to danger and fun with your wind snowboarding tricks. Sheesh, you're growing to be an adrenalin junkie and that's not entirely good at all." She paused, trying to contain her laughter as she reminisced. "Not to say, I became the receiving end of complains from the market sellers who were telling me how a cheapskate you are at bargaining and buying things. I can't believe my stingy brother had greatly influenced my son with such an ascetic trait. Just look at your very old pajamas, which you presently wore, and the ugly stitched patches you made."

"Well, at least I did bought the food, didn't I?"

"Don't act a smart ass like your ancestor Loki is! We're not presently living with his House. Besides, that is the reason I had to go, it's an emergency meeting, and believed me, your uncle is strict when it comes to time!"

"Does uncle Hail take it easy once in his life?"

"Well…no. He's the Leader of our House, and the Master of the Warriors of Ice. He breathes the very Code of being a Warrior, he's literally living by the Rule Book which makes him happy. So, we have to get along with my stoic and emotionless brother, unless you want him to go crazy, which I recommended you don't want him to go crazy. Because he is worse than me when it comes to nagging! You should have seen him in his wedding day, he just broke down chatting wildly with nervousness for the first time when he was totally enamored with his elvish bride-to-be. Unfortunately, that never happened again." Both mother and son chuckled.

Cornice finished strapping her boots, gave Jack a quick kiss on the forehead before proceeding to leave. Jack watched briefly his mother departing before he closed the door and turned to face his newly awakened younger sister who was approaching him while dragging her huge arctic hare stuff toy.

"Hi, kiddo, you know what this means…"

His younger sister halted rubbing her sleepy eyes that turned into a matching distinguishable impish look like her big brother's, giving a look she's ready to trash the entire place apart with her brother.

"When mom is away, we will play all day!" Jack gave a wide grin of mischievousness.

* * *

Ignoring the entire abode was filled with heavy snow and ice, Jack conjured frosted puppies for his little sister to play with him, halted doing so when hearing a snowball thrown near their window.

"More frost puppies! Then, snow bunnies, and ice dragons…" Giggling with joy, his little sister continued to chase and play with the frosted creatures he magically created for her.

"Yeah, yeah, will do, Baby Gee! Just wait a sec…" His royal blue eyes rolled towards the distracting noise nearby.

"Told you, I'm not Gee!" His litter sister complained, almost threw a tantrum in front of her big brother who always taunted her with the way she once struggled to mention her own name. She viewed her brother approached the window to take a look outside. Lying down on the thick snow-covered floor, she started to make a snow angel while waiting for him.

"Psst! Home boy!" Squall's familiar jeering voice called out at Jack who opened the window, viewing his cousins outside had halted throwing snowballs near the window. "Stop being a baby sitter for once, and play outside with us!"

"Yeah, play with us, cousin!" Frain chimed in for Jack to join them, not forgetting the fun they all had. "Last time was a blast with you around!"

"Haven't we, three, all agreed yesterday, that we will be wind snowboarding again the day after tomorrow…"

"How stupid do you get, Cousin Jack? I really do believe you deserved the name - Jackson Overland Frost, because your brain was frozen by your own frosts! Since yesterday was a day and today is that tomorrow," Squall replied him back in his unchanged superior bullying ways while Frain's eyes widened once more at his brother's senseless statement, making Jack silent for a moment as he stared long and hard in disbelief at Squall and his air of stupidity coming out from his mouth. "I don't blame you, you're younger and thinner, your growth had stunted big time, and it affected the way you think." Saying seemingly intelligent words had made Squall smiled more in delight while Jack controlled not to have a migraine unlike Frain who seemed to be having a painful one. "Are you still not playing with us? You, kill joy, perhaps you want us to storm you out of your house like the story of the three little goats where the big bad fish farts out winds to destroy their houses." As if quoting a literary masterpiece, Squall gave a wink at Frain like he was a classy reader of highly intellectual books. "Then, I'll Huff, and Hufflepuff, and Powerpuff your house down." However, he halted his long idiotic speech of convincing Jack when the three boys were interrupted.

"They're not three little goats, they're three little pigs! And the big bad wolf is no fish that farts, but blows away the pigs' houses, dumb ass!" Jack's little sister tiptoed, peering out at the other side of the window, shouted at her cousins down below. "And my big brother Jack is no kill joy, he will accept your challenge!"

"Two of us against your puny brother!" Squall laughed out loud, added. "Your frost-thin brother doesn't had a chance against us!"

"Yeah, my brother has a chance! How about a snowball fight, he's good with snowballs! And he will beat the crap out of you!"

"Snowball fights are for helpless babies like you!" Squall smirked at the little brave girl with her tangled long white hair wildly scattered like a bush around her fierce face. "Besides, words from a girl doesn't scare me! A whiny crybaby like you could not even defeat me because of these!" Narcissistic Squall held out his arms and bended his arms to show his lean mean muscles to show brawns always wins. After showing off, he held up his same arms and pointed it towards the siblings above, sending his winds and destroying the magical frosted creatures around the little girl who started to cry when seeing them all gone, so does her snow angel on the once snow-covered floor inside their house.

"Hey!" Jack shouted with a twinge of anger at his cousin. "Don't you ever bully my little sister!"

That's it. Squall had crossed the line. Jack had enough of his cousin's nasty ways, and he had long remained cold and indifferent about his cousins' cruel insecurities for three years until now that Squall just made his sister cry.

"Fine, you wanna fight! I accept your challenge!" Jack turned into a protective big brother, leaped and landed down on the ground outside while Squall gave a haughty look.

"Finally, Cousin Jack had the courage to take our challenge and to fight us!" The other boy snorted before he faced his silent and stoic twin, Frain, who gave a very competitive look.

Seemed to be in his Warrior of Ice mode, and with an intention that he will never back out, Frain had been itching to fight Jack.

"Snowball battle it is!" Squall pointed his hands downward before punching the cold ground, making a brief ground blizzard to start their fight.

As soon as the winds ceased, the entire snowy place turned into a silent battlefield. Each opposite sides had magically finished building their own designed ice fortress.

* * *

He had no idea what kind of attack they will be doing, but he knows one thing - Squall and Frain had the advantage. Jack knew his cousins' combined powers of powerful snowsqualls and heavy freezing rains are enough to conjure terrible ice storms. Aside from this, they were known to be excellent in shapeshifting. And because of their known powers, they're the best when it comes to spying and fighting him in an ambush.

Damn, he's dead meat!

He shouldn't have let his emotions carried him away, but the way Squall treated his little sister was too much.

Besides, it was never in his own vocabulary to give up. No, not even in a million years would he easily surrender to anyone, he would rather fight!

Jack halted in his contemplation when sensing he was not alone underneath his fortress of ice, an underground bunker.

"Nice heavily shielded bunker to withstand against powerful snowstorms," His voice greeted Jack while his shadowy horned figure remained seated on the ice table nearby. "Hello, Jack, long time no see. Three years had gone away, isn't it?" The cunning god of mischief gave his familiar insane chuckle. "Didn't you miss me?"

"Loki…" Jack whispered his name in relief but Loki gave a look that he's not here to help or get involved, but to observe. Out of curiosity and excitement, he wanted to have the first row seat in this little fun game between Jack and his cousins from the House of Thor.

"I want to watch. It grabbed not only my own interest, but also the other gods so does Odin and Thor. My brother, the god of thunder, watches from Asgard with the help of Heimdallr to see what's happening now. And I have wagered against Tyr, the god of war, and Bragi, the god of poetry - I bet that you will win. Of course, you have to. You came from me and Thor, unlike those cousins of yours who came from Thor and from the elvish descendant of Freyr, twin brother of the Vanir witch…" Loki paused with his words trailing off, before he gave his signature sly look and mischievous grin. "Show them how my Royal House deals against its opponents, and how my Royal House had remained in the Crystal Throne of Power in Niflheim for as long as any immortal could ever remember. That anyone from the direct line of the Winter Kings always cleverly played every bloody battle in any brutal war like an easy child's game." Loki waved his hand, giving an illusion that Jack's back in one of the study inside the imperial grand palace.

Loki was seated in one of the chairs before the table where Jack's chess game board was. "In our eternal existence, we are only defined who we truly are - we are either kings or pawns." The cunning lord of scheming mischief materialized a particular white chess piece, representing the King, and then throwing it towards the winter prince who caught it in his right hand.

"Be the King."

He gave a certain look at Jack that the King is the most important piece in the game. Without the King, the entire game ends.

Memories crept back into the deep recesses of Jack's mind as Loki's first words of advice was remembered.

 _"_ _If you are planning to win, think two or more steps before your enemy does…"_

"I have to think ahead before they do," Jack whispered audibly for Loki to hear his own words he once advised the boy. "I need my own battle plans. I have to form my alliance, my own diversions, my traps, and…"

"…and a little bit of chaotic fun!" Loki gave a devilish smirk at Jack who replied with a very mischievous grin.

* * *

His keen eyes remained vigilant, watching from afar the fortress where their cousin is. Viewing his brother had taken the shape of a small icicle finch before he had landed down beside him, Frain turned to face and ask Squall who morphed back into his human form.

"Any sign of movement within the fortress?"

"After staying beneath his fortress for minutes, our cousin had decided to make things even, he had requested an alliance with his little sister, and now, she had flew to join him in there."

"As if it would be his advantage, when clearly she wasn't, but a liability to him. They do not equal our combined strength." Frain contemplated. "Strange, for Jack to let his sister join in the fray, don't you think?" He halted, narrowing his electric blue eyes with suspicion. "We need to be careful, our clever cousin definitely had a plan. We had to attack him at once before he will attack us. I'll take the skies, you take the ground, brother." Frain immediately shapeshifted into a white hawk while Squall turned into a large white tiger sprinting fast on the icy ground as his brother took off in the skies.

* * *

"My, oh, my…look at you, a little bundle of joy, mischief, and misery too!" Loki confronted the little girl whose eyes narrowed with distrust at the unfamiliar elder god as they stood inside Jack's bunker. "You don't know me, my little princess, of course, I am your other godly ancestor, Loki. Come here and give me a kiss…" Raising his arms to beacon the girl to come to him, the lord of mischief puckered out his lips with mockery but ended up with a snowball thrown at his face. Instead of being furious, Loki chuckled amusedly, wiping off the snow from his face. "My darling little monster! How very rotten spoiled you are! Another apple of my eyes indeed! "

"That means she doesn't like you," Jack informed Loki who was still grinning crazily at his other descendant. Viewing his little sister remained behind him and sticking out her tongue at the horned god who was clearly delighted at her, Jack spoke furthermore. "The only elder god she knows and likes is Thor." Jack smiled at his sister and asked her. "Why do you like the god of thunder again?"

"He's a dreamy beefcake."

"You see…" Jack laughed briefly while he was tinkering an ice crystal in his hands and packing them in his pockets after placing one on the ceiling just like he had done with some of the crystals earlier.

"Do you know many ladies and other beings find me so irresistible and sexy too!" Loki reclined down on his side seductively on the ice table where he was comfortably seated earlier. "And someday, your big brother will be a chick magnet too! Why wouldn't he be - he's a perfect combination of Thor and me!"

"How do you know, I really like winter chickens with snow peas and ice cube squash!" Jack was thinking about food, heard his tummy rumbled loudly, "I'm hungry and I had to finish this battle before mom will return home, or else I'm history."

"No, I mean, females - the girls and the women! Of course, you are just a boy now, and had no interest towards them until you reach that certain age, and well, let's just say it's a different level, a new kind of fun …." Loki was laughing softly while reminiscing, whispered further. "Wait, until you met the one. The one who will be changed your immortal life forever. Then, she must be your equal, your future other half, and your eternal queen. I wonder how she would fallen deeply with you, knowing how hard to tame a wild troublesome winter storm, which you are, Jack. She must be more alluringly beautiful and powerful than anyone you had ever known that you had no intention of ever letting her go at all."

Jack gave a puzzled and disgusted look at Loki, couldn't understand a thing the elder god was muttering about. "You're gross and weird." The tousled haired boy ceased talking with his ancestor when one of the crystal he had buried blinked.

"Oh, goody! They're here!" Loki excitedly pull himself up to sit while Jack kneeled down to talk to his little sister.

"You know our plan," Jack calmly remained smiling at his sister. "You don't have to worry a thing, all you have to do is stand here. The ice crystals of illusions will duplicate and imitate your form. You'll be safe here. I'll do the rest. And when it's over, you could go out."

"And we could play again!"

"Of course, sis." Jack playfully messed his sister's shaggy hair, before he flew up towards one of secret trap doors to leave.

* * *

His eyes were sharp, as well as his smell and hearing, he had caught the glimpse of the little girl swiftly chasing her brother who had allowed himself to disappear inside his maze-like fortress of ice.

 _So he brought his useless sister here. Good! Just like younger kids, she easily gets scared._ He was about to sprint and pounced at the girl, but his twin brother, Frain, morphed into his human form after swooping down in his hawk form. His brother caught and restrain him.

"Forget the girl, Squall, focus at Jack! We have to get Jack to win this fight!"

Squall angrily turned into his human form, and pushed away Frain, argued with his twin.

"You idiot, I almost got the sissy wimp! If I have that girl, then we can have her as a hostage to take out Jack!"

"Brother, we don't take hostages! Don't forget, we are from the House of the Warriors of Ice! It is dishonorable to take an innocent life! Our fight is with Jack, alone!"

"What's the difference? It's just a game! As if this is a real fight?!"

"That's the entire point of it?! Can't you see?! This is more than a game, more than a fight! This is how we reveal our true selves."

"No, but we need to win! If we win, we will never bow down to that lame royal cousin of ours!"

"And what if he wins? Remember, the House of Thor was always the protective shields and powerful swords of Niflheim. But the brilliant top minds came from the House of Loki." Frain stated the possibility, the truth, and the history of their realm. "The empire of Niflheim was never ruled by our House, but his other Royal House. You should know his line of Winter Kings were the ones who conquered and ruled the Northern Region and its icy wilderness. And the North is the known largest expanse than any of the other eight realms."

"Then, we will not let him win. Because if he does impress us by showing us that he was worthy to be who he claimed to be - we had no choice, but to accept him as our future Winter King, who also came from our House."

They ended their argument when hearing sounds of cracking and popping frosts speedily spreading and spiking around them.

"Yoo-hoo! Yes, you two!" Jack landed down at the other side, called out at them, psyching them into their own emotional upheaval. "I thought this is a snowball fight, not a session of flyting between two buffoons?! When all this time, you two baboons were quarreling loudly about me. Please, you don't need to fight because of me! It seemed everywhere I go, everyone wants a piece of me! What can I say, but I'm really flattered!" The mischievous boy pretended to give a coy look, recited a silly poetry like a plain annoying fool. "You hear that - pitter- patter, pitter-patter! Oh, be still my heart filled with folly!"

Enraged with his insults, the twin separated and morphed immediately into their respective animals forms to charge against Jack. But they just passed through vanishing Jack. Swiftly, they both halted in their tracks when chaotic winds from different directions blew out to confuse them, until another powerful wind materialized out of nowhere brought crystallized dry ice bombs. Exploding at every inch of space they were occupying, they were forced to be separated again.

"Don't you guys give up, or are you thirsty for more pain?!"

Frain and Squall struggled up to their feet after they heard Jack's taunting voice again.

Both brothers were divided by their clashing decisions, and were separated towards their different paths as they viewed and chased the little girl again.

* * *

This time Squall gave in to his stormy emotions, viewed the little girl was passing at the far right corridor. His thoughts was running wild with his rising temper, did not waited for his twin brother.

Screw his brother, Frain! His idea is better than his anyway! Besides, the means will justify the end, or is it the other way around, the end will justify the means?! Ah, just forget it!

Changing swiftly in his new frosty fox form, Squall gained more speed in catching up the little hyperactive girl who was leaving a trail of sugary frosted cookies which she was gobbling up.

What a slob?!

Squall contemplated silently, remained eyeing and stalking Jack's clueless sister, until he slowed down upon smelling the enticing food, and knowing how much his stomach was grumbling at him, reminding him that it's already lunch time. He stared to pick up the crumbs and ate it while he was still following the stupid girl.

* * *

Morphing from a white polar bear to his human form, Frain cornered Jack's sister.

"Look, I am not here to hurt you. Just tell me where your brother is, and…"

Frain halted talking when the girl just disappeared in his plain sight. It was nothing else but an illusion.

Shit! It's a trap! He should have expected that Jack knew winter spells and illusions, he was from Loki's House. And Loki is the lord of sorcery too.

Frain panicked with his thoughts. He almost morphed into his snowy owl form only to be hit by a snowball, making him roll down the snowy slope, and turning into a larger ball of snow every second he rolled away.

"Well, what do you know? One down and one to go…" Jack reappeared, floating in mid-air from the far corner, gave a more mischievous look before flying away and turning invisible.

Yes, one to go, and he reserved the best prank for the last deserving one.

* * *

Odd, he never felt so full in his life. Not that he ate that much. Now, he felt very strange, as if he wanted so much to pee.

Squall retained in his frosty fox form, hurried towards an ice wall, and then raised his leg to unload. He could not stop from urinating, even if the other side of the wall had collapsed down by a large snowball with Frain in it.

Seeing his twin brother, Frain shouted at Squall as he rolled away, passing by his twin brother. "The girl, she's an illusion!" He warned his brother before he rolled far away, further down the snow-blanketed mountain.

The white fox remained peeing, turned at the other side when hearing footsteps nearing where he stood.

"Little doggie, can we stop fighting? Can we be good friends?" She smiled, called out at him who wished she could mentally read his mind.

 _No, don't want to be your friend! Little doggie is busy peeing! Scram away, you creepy pest of a girl!_

The frosty fox gave an angry growl to scare the girl away, ready to bite her, except that it didn't frightened the girl.

Suddenly, her eyes glowed with lightning and her smile turned mischievous that made Squall freaked out, knowing who that girl is, and she's not Jack's real sister, but Jack himself who let out streaks of lightning to flow out, electrifying the white fox in front of him before his powerful frosts froze Squall who was still peeing in his fox form.

Jack ended the game with a snowball appearing in his opened palm and throwing it at the frozen fox who fell completely motionless on the snowy ground.

Hearing a sudden boisterous laughter from Loki, Jack quickly returned back to his real form, while his real sister ran towards Jack who clearly had won.

"Little doggie's stiff!"

"Well, he's stiff alright, but he's alive. At least, he learned his lesson - don't be a bully, because sometimes, those you bullied are worse than you!" Jack replied back at his sister who rolled the frozen fox into a large snowball before pushing it away, going to the same direction where his other twin brother was heading towards a cliff.

* * *

It was a stroke of luck! The thick blanket of snow below them was soft, and now, they were free from their respective giant balls of snow.

"Fuck! I can't believe it! We lost against two younger weaker kids!" Returning to his human form, Squall complained.

"Shut up, Squall!" Frain slapped his hand behind Squall's head.

"I can't just believe our cousin could also shapeshift?!"

"Of course, he could. He is from the House of Loki, and Loki is a shapeshifter too! The horned god of mischief had proven he could shapeshift when he turned into a fly to steal the Brisingamen, the golden necklace of the goddess of love, Freyja."

"Shhh, do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Frain asked Squall who bended down on his knees to listen. He placed his ear on the cold ground as the rumbling sound continued.

Thinking that Jack had used his inherent royal powers by conjuring the strongest winter storms, Squall spoke out nervously. "By heavens' sake, he summoned a very powerful thundersnow against us! Jack, we surrender! Just don't fry us!" Squall cried out, stood up and faced up at the skies while Frain also looked up and shouted his surrender too, not realizing behind them that a humongous snowball was being rolled by Jack and his little sister on the same cliff where the twins had fallen off.

"Didn't I promise you that we will be playing afterwards?" Jack faced his younger sister who smiled and nodded repeatedly. "How about we build two snowmen! That would be fun, right!"

"Aha, fun! But I like to build two beautiful snowwomen instead!"

"As you wish, little sis." Jack allowed his sister to give the last gentle push, making the gigantic snowball fall down on the twins down below.

* * *

He hadn't heard such sweet symphony of terrified cries before as if they were tortured to death! Loki remained pondering and chuckling as he sat comfortably near the cliff, glancing down where Jack and his sister were playing with their cousins who they were shaping into snowwomen.

"Now, you both looked so pretty!" Jack's sister created a small ice mirror in her hands, and showed to the horrified screaming boys their reflections.

"How many times, do we have to say, we had yielded!" Frain and Squall begged at Jack and his sister while Jack deafly ignored them, allowed his sister to magically paint more make-up and to place ice ribbons and frost flowers all over their cousins who were stuck frozen as snowwomen.

"But you smelled awful! Like you two never bathed for ages. Do you want me to give you both a bath? A bath so that you two will smell like fragrant ice lilies…"

"No! Please! No!"

"I think they already had enough." Jack told his little sister. He then ceased watching with his arms crossed in front of him before he summoned away his powers of frost and snow to free his cousins.

Stepping away, Frain and Squall kneeled with exhaustion, composed themselves in front of Jack who was waiting for an apology.

"We're sorry. We promised – we will never oppress anyone who is weaker than us. "

Upon hearing their sincere apologetic words, Jack uncrossed his arms and gestured at his sister that it's time for them to go home and let their cousins be. But when he was about to turn away from them, he stood motionless in silence when hearing his cousins pledged their eternal loyalty at him who they will follow even before he will become the Winter King. He closed his eyes briefly, shoving away his discomfort of his possible destiny before he proceeded walking with his sister to return back to their home.

* * *

"Wow! I'm impressed about everything! You're really great when it comes to guarding and taking care of younger children like your own little sister…" His mother peered inside his sister's room while Jack wrapped the blankets around his sleeping and resting younger sister in her bed. "The house was sparkling clean, and you never trash the place as if the winds just blew every mess away. And now this…" She entered and drew near, placed her hand on Jack's shoulder, smiled at her son after hearing briefly his bedtime stories with his little sister. "I'm fascinated, really. But I never read and heard a story that Red Riding Hood was an outlaw heroine, a long lost sister of Robin Hood, who also fought alongside with her outlaw brother against the cruel and corrupt king, and how they freed their people. And that the Wolf who dressed as Red Riding Hood's grandmother was nothing more, but a misunderstood and lost fashion designer who later became Pinocchio's business partner in their newly opened Puppet Theater Business Venture."

"Well, we both made it all up." Jack smiled at his mother, referring to his little sister and him. Besides, Jack was bored of reading princess stories to his sister when his sister was already a princess on her own right. "The important thing is that everything ended well."

As she heard her son's words, Cornice remained concealing the sadness in her sky blue eyes, holding preciously Jack's hand. And for the first time in her life, she gave a hopeful and persuasive lie to her son, hiding her own fears of their uncertain bleak future.

"Yeah, and everyone lived happily ever after."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hi my dear readers!

I would like to end everything with a lighter and happy note in this last published chapter.

This was my gift to you this upcoming Christmas. And I intend to put smiles in your faces for the sake of this Merry Season. And comedy is the best way to narrate this chapter. I was inspired by some of the funny situations from the recent Thor Ragnarok Movie, and of course, I based the last two chapters from the madcap slapstick comedic adventure of the 90's and early 2000's movies, namely Billy Madison Movie and Home Alone Movie. When I was writing this, I was imagining Jack was doing the same mischievous things that Home Alone's Kevin McCallister did.

I would like to thank the people (you know who you are), especially the latest reviewer, Keryna, and other followers who kept on following, liking and reviewing my stories. I will never forget you. Again, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. For a brief time, you, handful of people had become my muse.


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